Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear about people I know getting their license to carry a firearm. Just as often, we hear news of a similar sort announcing another area relaxing restrictions or of a court victory enforcing our Second Amendment rights enshrined in the United States Constitution. Each of these little victories makes us each a little safer, but it also carries a reminder of the responsibilities shouldered by people who have made the decision to take charge of their own safety.
What I am about to say next is just my own opinion, but I feel very strongly about it, so I will be blunt: If you carry a firearm and you don’t have at least a rudimentary trauma kit that is quickly accessible, you’re wrong.
Let that sink in for a minute.
Difference Between Life or Death
If you have made the decision to carry a pistol, it only follows that you prepare to deal with the aftermath should you ever be forced to use it. Most people have heard the saying “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.” The same thing can be said of emergency medical services. Without prompt action, it is possible to bleed out from a major arterial wound in only a few minutes. By taking a few basic life-saving measures, especially with the assistance of a trauma kit, bleeding can be slowed enough to allow time for advanced medical support to arrive.
Now, I’m not going to tell you to chase down and try to administer first aid to some bad guy you just shot out of self-defense. In a violent encounter it is rare to find only one side injured. Whether you are providing care to yourself or to an innocent injured bystander, your actions could make the difference between life or death while you wait for help to arrive.
It’s not just others that such a kit can help. Simply having a trauma kit, on your person or nearby, could allow a bystander Good Samaritan to render aid to you. Some commercial kits even have easy to understand instructions printed on laminated cards so that an untrained individual can adequately render aid if necessary.
Self-defense incidents aren’t the only time a trauma kit can come become a lifesaver. Accidental (and negligent) discharges at the gun range can be just as deadly. Other more common accidents happen all the time, both on the highways, at work, and at home. A person doesn’t have to be suffering from a gunshot wound to require life-saving measures. Trauma can come in the form of major lacerations from an auto accident or a slip with a knife while preparing a meal. Whatever the cause of the trauma, it’s important to be prepared to respond quickly and assertively.
My point in all of this is that you have already made the decision to be prepared by becoming licensed to carry a firearm. This is not a responsibility to be taken lightly. You should also be prepared for the aftermath of the much more common household or auto accidents that turns deadly.
Not All Kits Are Created Equal
There are a few different levels of trauma kits, also referred to as “blowout kits,” ranging from a full-fledged corpsman’s kit down to the most bare-bones trauma kit with only the most basic tools to stop bleeding. The larger and more advanced kits are great for keeping at home, at the range, or in your vehicle. The smaller kits are easily concealed in a purse, briefcase, or even a cargo pocket.
Don’t discount the small compact kits. Having a basic kit that fits in your cargo pocket is better than a fully fleshed-out kit that you tend to leave in the house or vehicle. An example of this would be the IPOK (Individual Patrol Officer Kit) which fits conveniently and compactly into a plastic pouch. The components of a slightly better, but still very basic kit such as our IFAK (individual first aid kit) usually consist of the following—nitrile gloves, gauze and bandages, a few yards of duct tape, and a blood stopper such as QuickClot or some other brand. The Adventure Medical trauma pack is a good step up from the IFAK with the addition of a tourniquet. More advanced kits than this, such as the EMI Deluxe Gunshot Kit may also have shears, a dedicated chest seal and a tourniquet of some sort.
Of course, you might want a much more advanced kit like the STOMP mobile hospital that has virtually everything you could need. It’s perfect for your house or for a remote gun range where medical assistance may be some time in coming. The point here is that it’s worth it to diversify. Have a good full-sized kit for the home and range, a moderately-sized kit for your vehicle and a smaller and easily portable pocket-sized kit that you can carry around on a daily basis.
Training and Instruction
Needless to say, it would be foolish to simply purchase a trauma kit and just assume that you are good to go. By the same token, you wouldn’t buy a pistol and get your license to carry without having had at least some very basic instruction. Tools, whether a firearm or a basic life-saving kit, are only as good as the person wielding them. You should pursue training on the use of these kits.
Additional training should be sought out every few years after that, not just to keep your skills sharp, but because medical doctrines change often with advancing technology and deeper understanding of the human body. The techniques and skills you learned years ago may no longer be considered “best practice” for basic life saving or first aid. The medical use of a tourniquet has gone from a lifesaver, to anathema as a “guaranteed amputation,” only to eventually find favor again as one of the most effective ways to prevent rapid blood loss in an extremity and thus preserve life. Even basic CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) has gone through numerous evolutions in just the past few decades.
Preparedness isn’t necessarily stockpiling food, owning a bunch of ammunition, carrying a licensed pistol, or even just having a first aid kit. It’s the combination of training, skills development, tools and gear, and mindset. If you’re of the mind that a firearm is something you should responsibly carry as a method of being prepared, a trauma pack should be right next to it on your list.
For more on treating gunshot wounds, read these following posts:
- Assembling a Blowout Kit
- Plan to Survive a Gunshot Wound with These Four Practical Steps
- Wounded, Alone, but not Helpless
- Got a Tourniquet?
- Customizing Your Medical Kit
- Let’s Learn our ABC’s. Again.
Do you keep a first aid kit? What do you keep in it? Let us know in the comments section below!
Thanks for the opinions and ideas.
As a SWAT medic with a large PD and smaller SO, I can attest to needing both the equipment and training. I’ve been a paramedic for over 20 years and have seen first hand how quickly the life can seep out of a person. Equipment – a basic IFAK is generally ample for individual carry, but make sure you have a good tourniquet (I prefer the CAT), a good hemostatic agent (I like Celox), and an occlusive dressing (HALO is my choice). With these 3 things, in addition to typically included trauma gauzes, you should be able to treat any GSW or stab wound. Just keep in mind these tools won’t give you God-like powers – some wounds are going to be fatal no matter what you do or how quickly you treat them. As for BOB or range kit, the addition of common OTC medications (allergy relief, NSAIDS, etc) triple antibiotic ointment, and multiple sized adhesive bandages will help make what could be the end of an enjoyable outing a mere bump in the road you can easily move past. Training for the non-Public Safety person may be a bit harder to come by. Specialized courses like PHTLS or TCCC aren’t usually open to the general public, but there are other options. Online videos, outdoor activity groups, and other available resources can be a good alternative, but remember to vet all techniques and procedures as best you can – you may not want to risk your life or the life of another based on what you learned from “Ranger Rusty” on his YouTube channel… Most all states have Good Samaritan laws that shield you from liability as long as you don’t do something crazy or wildly unorthodox, but check your local laws. Most of all, be safe. Try to develop habits and routines that prevent injury from occurring. But if all else fails, be prepared!
I keep the following packed in one of the cargo pockets on my pants:
1. Israeli Combat Bandage (6″)
2. Three pairs of blue nitrile gloves
3. CAT tourniquet
4. A 15g pouch of Celox blood-clotting granules for a large wound.
5. Ten individually sealed 1×1″ gauze pads impregnated with clotting agent (to be used for smaller wounds)
I took a course from the folks at Dark Angel Medical this past fall. It was a 2 day course that dealt specifically with traumatic wound care, and would recommend it to each and every individual that carries a weapon. Check them out at https://darkangelmedical.com.
I took a convenient sized standard IFAK and added: Quik Clot, Israeli torni, tongue depressors for finger splints, several female tampons for packing in puncture/entry wounds, scissors, knife, burn salve, eye wash capsules, and more.
I carry it in my car, along with my AK, and it is the size of a small loaf of bread.
I’m an EMT and I would be interested. Please ask her. Thanks.
It is in N. Carolina, it’s called Equip International.
http://www.equipinternational.org
I’m sure there are other places that do the same the, but my wife was impressed with this place when she was there. You never know when you go someplace for training how good the trainining will be. Kind of like firearm training. You can get some really good training at some places. Others you can get shot.
My wife took a medical training course, not sure what it was called, but geared for treating trauma when help is nowhere near. It was at a training camp, I believe, in N. Carolina. The class even went toward her RN schooling. They also have all sorts of other classes, like water purification, emergency shelters, etc. If anyone is interested I will ask her the name of the place. I plan to check out a few of their courses if I can ever find the time and money.
Along the lefthand side if the article there is a firstaid kit, which I was not able to locate. Can someone identify the make and model of that kit for me?
That is the Adventure Medical Kit Grizzly – the picture is slightly different, but this is the kit. https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/adventure-medical-kits-sportsman-grizzly-0105-0389-707708303890.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=Search ~Dave Dolbee
There’s a Relatively NEW Product called “Bondic” Liquid Plastic Welder. It’s a NON-TOXIC Medical Grade “Similar” to Superglue Adhesive Compound that requires UV-Light to Cure. Applicator has a UV-LED Light, and can be used as an Emergency Liquid Suture. It has been used Successfully in Open Heart Surgery and is the same compound used in Setting Teeth Fillings. Costs about $20.00 USD…
I agree. I’m going to see if Incan find someplace to get the training I need to know how to use the equipment I have.
Where exactly am I supposed to stow this trauma kit when I am CCing on a Saturday afternoon as I shop or date? Shirt, trousers, shoes socks, and undergarments. OK – where?
In a bug out bag, sure…in my glove box, sure, in my range bag, heII yeah.
You would undoubtedly want to limit yourself to an IFOK under such circumstances.
Just remember, as the article says, buying a quality trauma kit isn’t enough, you have to train and learn how you use it.
Do you know how to use the tourniquet that is in the kit? Can you stitch a wound? Do you know how to remove a foreign object in the skin or muscles? What do you do for a major infection? How do you protect a dislocated joint or a compound fracture? How do you set, or even immobilize a broken bone?
I admit that not everybody has had the training that I have been blessed to have, which included administering IVs and immobilizing major fractures or treating wounds, but everyone can at least take a Red Cross course and have the basic skills.
Buying the kit is the first step and it’s a good one, now take the next step and get some training.
“Sanitary Napkin”, as Bandages for Large Wounds and “Rodent Glue Tray’s” as Temporary Sutures until you can get Medical/Hospital Assistance.
And for your Dog “Rubbing Alcohol”, apply to Foot Pads and the Skin Surface of Inner Ear’s. Rapid Cooling sensation will help cool your Dog Down Faster, if necessary apply to Coat of Fur behind the head for same rapid cooling action. But be sure to claim Dog, by hold Head Steady and Claimly Talking to Your Dog. Because “Rapid Cooling Sensation” is going to be Disconcerting to Dog…